posted by The SportsRadio 930 Team -

Jun 21, 2018

FAU head coach Lane Kiffin isn't well liked in Tennessee, as he bailed on the Volunteers after one year at the helm to take his dream job as the head coach of the USC Trojans.

It was such a toxic situation, that there were concerns for Kiffin's safety even four years later in 2014, when he returned to Neyland as the offensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Kiffin spoke of the experience on Marty Smith's America: The Podcast. Per 247Sports:

“It’s crazy. They were literally talking about like — from the bus in — a bulletproof vest. I’m like, ‘Come on, guys. This is football.’ They said, ‘No, really.’ They had security with me the whole way, even walking on the field and stuff like that,” Kiffin said. “I’m just like ‘I’m not wearing a vest, guys. All right?’ That’s a little bit over the top.'It was all in fun. There was a lot of mean words said — four-letter words. That speaks of Tennessee’s fans, just how passionate they are. I think Phillip Fulmer said it the other day, ‘We have the most passionate fans in the country.’" - Lane Kiffin, Marty Smith's America: The Podcast

Having the most passionate fanbase in the country is one thing, but for there to have been any reason to suspect that Kiffin was in danger returning to Knoxville four years after he left is an embarrassing indictment on UT fans.